• Icing - Coating of ice on an object, e.g., the mast or superstructure of a vessel

  • IMO Class - Group of dangerous or hazardous goods, harmful substances, or marine pollutants in sea transport as classified in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code)

  • Inert (to) - To reduce the oxygen in a tank with inert gas to avoid an explosive atmosphere.

  • Initial course - Course directed by the OSC or other authorized person to be steered at the beginning of a search

  • Inoperative - Not Functioning

  • Jettison (to) (of cargo) - To throw goods overboard to lighten the vessel or improve its stability in an emergency.

  • Launch (to) - To lower, e.g., lifeboats, to the water

  • Leaking - Escape of liquids such as water, oil, etc., out of pipes, boilers, tanks, etc., or a minor inflow of seawater into the vessel due to damage to the hull

  • Leeward - On or towards the sheltered side of a ship; opposite of windward

  • Leeway - Vessel’s sideways drifted leeward of the desired course

  • Let go (to) - To set free, let loose, or cast off (of anchors, lines, etc.)

  • Lifeboat station - Place assigned to crew and passengers to muster before being ordered into the lifeboats

  • List Here - the inclination of the vessel to the port side or starboard side

  • Located - In navigational warnings: Position of object confirmed

  • Make water (to) - To have seawater flowing into the vessel due to hull damage or hatches awash and not properly closed

  • Moor (to) - To secure a vessel in a particular place using wires or ropes made fast to the shore, to anchors, or anchored mooring buoys, or to ride with both anchors down

  • MRCC - Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre: land-based authority responsible for promoting efficient organization of maritime search and rescue and for co-ordinating the conduct of search and rescue operations within a search and rescue region

  • Muster (to) - To assemble crew, passengers, or both in a special place for purposes of checking

  • Muster list - List of crew, passengers and others on board and their functions in a distress or drill

  • Not under command (abbr. NUC) - a vessel which through exceptional circumstances is unable to manoeuvre as required by the COLREGs

  • Obstruction - An object such as a wreck, net, etc., which blocks a fairway, route, etc.

  • Off air - When the transmissions of a radio station, etc., have broken down, been switched off, or suspended

  • Off station (of buoys) - Not in the charted position

  • Oil clearance - Oil skimming from the surface of the water

  • Operational - Ready for immediate use

  • Ordnance exercise - Naval firing practice

  • OSC - On-Scene Co-ordinator: A person designed to co-ordinate search and rescue operations within a specified area

  • Overflow - Escape of oil or liquid from a tank because of a twofold condition as a result of overflowing, thermal expansion, change in vessel trim or vessel movement

  • Polluter - A vessel emitting harmful substances into the air or spilling oil into the sea

  • Preventers - Ropes or wires attached to derricks to prevent them from swinging during cargo handling operations

  • Proceed (to) - To sail or head for a certain position or to continue with the voyage

  • PA-system - Public address system: loudspeakers in the vessel's cabins, mess rooms, etc., and on deck through which important information can be broadcast from a central point, mainly from the navigation bridge

  • Recover (to) Here - to pick up shipwrecked persons

  • Refloat (to) - To pull a vessel off after grounding; to set it afloat again

  • Rendez-vous - An appointment between vessels normally made on the radio to meet in a certain area or position

  • Reported - In navigational warnings: position of object unconfirmed

  • Restricted area - A deck, space, area, etc., in vessels where, for safety reasons, entry is only permitted for authorized crew members

  • Resume (to) Here - to re-start a voyage, service, or search

  • Retreat signal Sound - visual or another signal to a team ordering it to return to its base

  • Rig move - The movement of an oil rig, drilling platform, etc., from one position to another

  • Roll call - The act of checking how many passengers and crew members are present, e.g., at assembly stations, by reading aloud a list of their names

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